


the night

by etherealwatson



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), kind of canon rewrite ?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22827787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealwatson/pseuds/etherealwatson
Summary: an account of the night of the 31st of october and the nights that follow
Kudos: 6





	1. the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 31/10/81: the night of the betrayal

The 31st of October in the year 1981 had fared well for the majority of humankind. Children and adults alike had pranced around their local streets, begging for fun and treats. All was well for them. They had all gone to bed, hearts filled to the brim with delicious and plentiful happiness. Joy was present in the air but not for all. 

There was silent whispering in Godric’s Hollow. Young Lily Potter murmured sweet lullabies over her infant’s cot. Baby Harry whimpered and whimpered, wishing for his mother to stay with him. She kissed him on the forehead, took a glance at the desperate emerald eyes staring back at her from the cot, and turned to leave the room. She froze when Harry called out to her. He cried on, trying to catch his mother’s attention. Lily wished she could turn back to him with a warm smile on her face, but it was impossible. She did not know when that or any happiness could ever happen again. 

_Why won’t these treacherous times end?_

She gently closed the door, but the subtle scrape of wood echoed throughout the house and cut through the rigid air. 

James Potter sat against the wall, knees up to his chin. His head was buried between his knees, his hands tangled in his raven locks. His wire glasses hung from the tips of his fingers. His abandoned wand rolled towards the opposite end of the corridor and teetered near the couple’s bedroom doorway. As the nursery door’s echo continued, Lily slid down to the floor beside James. She gazed at the wall and watched the wand clatter against it. Every clash and bang against the wall shuddered through the pair on the floor. Lily shivered. She felt goosebumps on James as her arm touched his.

Lily turned to look at him, sensing his relentless fear. 

_All we do is be afraid._

*****

He watched Wormtail run rampant across the expansive dining room. The young man muttered under his breath, blatant anxiety rising with each step. Watching him made Voldemort regret ever coming to stay at the Manor. It was awfully difficult to concentrate on one’s self in these circumstances. 

When Wormtail passed once more, Voldemort seized his arm and leered at the tense man. 

“Wormtail, stop bloody pacing! Sit. down.”

He jumped and breathed out, “Y-yes, my Lord.”

Voldemort let go of the arm. He watched as the man pulled back one of the elegant chairs with unsteady hands and sat down. Wormtail kept his eyes away from the Dark Lord, only glancing upon occasion. Voldemort looked out at his followers, the young staring intently. Their eyes all pleaded deep, dark desires they would never achieve. Crabbe picked at his fingernails but inside was wishing to rise to fame. Malfoy’s eyes looked up at Voldemort and glistened with a yearning to be recognized. When the blonde man noticed his master looking, he straightened his posture, ready to fulfill his duty. The deranged Bellatrix Lestrange turned expectedly to Voldemort, mirroring Malfoy. He chuckled to himself. How naïve.

Voldemort folded his hands, resting them lightly on the hiemal wood. Clearing his throat to awaken those in the room, he finally began to speak.

“Now that we’ve settled…” 

“My-my lord, if I may…” Voldemort looked out of the corner of his eye. One of the Death Eaters slowly rose. 

“My lord, if I could be your companion on this important task, it would be my greatest honor.”

Voldemort had to fight the urge to roll his eyes and scoff. With scarcely a thought, he slipped his wand from his robes and pointed it at the imbecile.

“ _Crucio_.”

The Death Eater cried out in pain and fell onto the ground, shaking. His wails echoed achingly throughout the room. Raw electricity ran through his burned veins. His body contorted upon the floor.

The other Death Eaters watched on. Some looked on with fear and thankfulness that they had not spoken up and ended their Halloween night with a glimpse towards insanity. They knew that interrupting the Dark Lord’s word was a perilous business. Others gazed admirably, smirking at the convulsing man.

Voldemort finally stopped the curse, turning his attention back to the task at hand. The Death Eaters only glanced at the thrashing man before returning to dutiful focus. 

“Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for. Wormtail’s role as Secret Keeper for the Potters has finally come to fruition. I will, at last, be able to go after the boy.”

Voldemort saw his followers’ eyes glisten with anticipation. Nagini slithered up onto Voldemort’s side. He stroked her lightly. Looking back up at his audience, he hissed, “My reign will be threatened no longer.” 

*****

The clock above the nursery door kept ticking and ticking. It kept incessantly reminding the Potters that time was passing by, escaping from them. It trickled away, never to return. Lily began to feel tears running down her cheeks. Hands scrambling to her faces, she tried to hide her tears from herself and the man beside her. Her heart began to race, her breathing heavy and unsteady. She whispered to herself, “No...no, not today. Not today, please. Oh, God...”

She tried to calm herself. She rarely cried so she wouldn’t start now because of that Voldemort tosser. Her hands shook as she rubbed fast at her eyes. 

James shuffled and finally looked up from his knees. He saw Lily’s state through his blurry vision and felt another pang of despair. He gently wrapped his arms around her as if his misery could channel through her and turn into rejuvenation. Lily persistently wiped at her face to hide her distress. James leaned across the corridor to retrieve his wand.

“ _Tergeo_.”

Her tears vanished but the heavy breathing remained. James held his wife as she steadied her breathing. Voldemort would come soon; they could both feel it in their bones. James held onto Lily a bit tighter and felt her squeeze back. Hopefully, Peter would keep them a secret.

*****

There was creaking in Godric’s Hollow. The rusting gate outside the Potter home slowly opened. A dark figure wearing billowing robes threaded into the back garden and drifted to the door. A thin pale arm reached, grasping into the depths of the robes. Retrieving their wand, the figure pointed at the door handle. _  
_ “ _Alohomora._ ”


	2. downfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \--/11/81: the burial and downfall

Chilling rain poured down from the stygian midnight sky of London. Aurors hovered and crept around Number 12, Grimmauld Place in hopes of catching James and Lily Potter’s supposed traitor. 

Sirius fell against the weather-beaten alleyway wall and tugged his tattered leather jacket against his trembling skin.

He still couldn’t believe it.

It couldn’t be true. No. It shouldn’t be true.

James and Lily were dead.

“Oh God _,_ Oh God _, Oh God._ ”

Something like this ever happening should have been unfathomable. Unthinkable and absurd. 

If he had known when he was yet a young and naïve boy of 14 that this horrendous and unspeakable act was going to happen, he’d wave it off in disbelief, throw up his feet onto a sofa in the Gryffindor common room and say, “Yeah, right, like that’ll happen. Jamie here’s unstoppable.”

But now it has happened. It _actually_ happened. His best friend, the one who had stuck with him and helped him through his darkest times, was gone forever.

Sirius choked out a raw laugh. “Jesus fucking-” His breath caught in his throat. The blasted rain and draft picked up. 

Remus. How could he have cast suspicion upon Remus Lupin? His trusted and beloved friend?

How could he have ever thought that Remus would ever harm James and Lily? That wasn’t right.

And Peter?

How could he have ever thought that Peter would be a better match? How could he have ever thought that he would be capable of upholding the position of protecting James, Lily, and Harry from that revolting _Lord_ Voldemort? 

He should’ve been suspicious of Peter. 

Peter was always a suspect person. At Hogwarts and even after school’s end, he trailed after Sirius and James like a rat after a lump of cheese. 

But strangely, Peter hadn’t been around as of late when Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius spent their few precious moments together that they had off from the work of the Order of the Phoenix. That slimy rat was probably off doing god-knows-what.

How could Sirius have been so blind? It should have been blatantly obvious. If Remus was here, he’d tell Sirius off for “not paying attention”.

 _Isn’t James supposed to be the blind one here, Sirius_?

Sirius shuddered, his voice rough and the frigid wind chafing his tear-ridden, cracked face. He rubbed his eyes and tried to ignore the rising agony in his chest. 

Peter could not get away with this. He could not get away with betraying those that had cared for him so dearly. It was impossible. 

Sirius couldn’t lie to himself any longer. The urge for justice grew over the Gryffindor’s shattered heart like a fragile cup overflowing. He took a shaky breath as he came to his decision. Sirius scraped his face once again with the back of his grimy hand. His skin burned from the tears and cold rain. He dragged himself off of the damp alleyway pavement and disapparated.

*****

“And they will be forever remembered and missed by all…” 

Remus became self-aware after nearly two hours. He had to tune out the mindless drones that spoke as if they had known or cared about Lily and James. It was preposterous and damn near comical to see all of these people crowded around the graves.

Where were they when James and Lily were actually alive? _Where’d they get all this bullshit?_

Speaking of bullshit, Remus could barely believe it. Sirius betraying James and Lily? The Sirius Black he had grown up with was clumsy and irresponsible but had unusually strong loyalty to all his friends. Sirius would’ve kissed Severus fucking Snape to avoid harm befalling his friends. Betrayal seemed like a foreign concept to Sirius. He’d never...but then he did.

A passing wizard brushed by Remus. The old man stopped when he noticed who he had bumped into, and pity dusted with fear fell across his eyes. 

“O-oh, my dear boy. I’m _so_ sorry.” He patted Remus lightly on the shoulder, but Remus shrank back. The man soured and walked away swiftly into the downpour of Godric’s Hollow. 

Remus sat, scrunched up and alone in the village’s small church. Every shaking breath echoed. 

*****

Passerbys walked through the streets of London, clutching fiercely at their umbrellas. 

Sirius stumbled and scoured through the streets of London. 

“Oi, watch it!” Passing Muggles snapped as he shoved past and knocked their umbrellas over onto the leaf-covered pavement. 

Sirius’s eyes darted around the neighborhood. All he could see was Muggles going about their painless days. 

But Sirius could sense Peter. The loathsome rat was probably skulking amongst the chaos, hiding from Sirius’s wrath. He always hid.

“He thought he could hide, huh?” muttered Sirius. “I’ll show him. I’ll show him what happens when you betray your friends.” He tried to steady his breathing and pushed flyaway hairs from his face. He checked for his wand in his jacket pocket. 

“Sirius!” 

Sirius froze and looked out into the middle of the street. There stood Peter Pettigrew, picking at his nails and wearing clothing in no better state than Sirius’s. His hands shook as he slowly walked in his former friend’s direction. His tattered mousy robes flailed, and his eyes filled to the brim with tears.

“Ha, speak of the fucking devil! Wormtail!” Sirius stepped out of the alleyway, using every single muscle in his body to avoid immediately casting the Killing Curse. Peter ran towards his friend. Tears streamed down his scuffed face. 

“Lily and James, Sirius!” Peter choked as he spoke. “H-How could you?” Peter sobbed on and on in front of Sirius. “How could you betray them?” Peter scuffled toward Sirius, arms reaching out. The latter scowled at the former’s theatrics. 

“I? Betray Lily and James? I-I...” Sirius could feel his anger starting to tip. Peter didn’t listen to Sirius’s retaliation and kept clutching. “They were worth everything in this bloody, fucking piece-of-shit world! But oh no, poor Petey!” Sirius pushed Peter’s hands off of him and stepped back. “He just couldn’t say no to his precious Lord. How could he hurt poor Voldy’s feelings? Hmm?” 

“Sirius, please! I had no choice! He was...he was going to kill me!” At this point, Peter was in full-blown hysterics and knelt in front of Sirius, reaching out as if to a messiah. 

“Bollocks, _boll-ocks_! You knew what would happen to James and Lily. You _knew,_ and you let it happen.”

Pedestrians slowly came to a stop to watch the scene erupt. Peter’s small eyes scanned the crowd; his whimpering increased. 

Sirius clenched his fists, fingers gripping at his sleeves. His disheveled curls framed his maddening face. Peter’s whining was in the periphery of his thoughts. From the corner of his eye, Sirius watched Peter phase through various indescribable emotions. Most painted a picture that made Sirius nearly run his fist through the nearby pub wall. Sirius pointed his wand down at Peter.

“Now...I’ll give you the chance, just this once.”

Peter cowered under Sirius’s glare.

“Promise me this...you’ll run. You’ll run so far from here, not even the fucking painting of my mother will sense your misery. If I dare _catch_ the scent of you, you’ll pay. Believe me.” Sirius’s eyes verged on insanity as he stared at his enemy. 

The street fell silent around the pair. The pattering rain enveloped everyone: wizard or muggle. 

Peter glanced around at the crowd, slowly straightening himself. 

“No, Sirius, I-”

Peter looked up as Sirius shakingly raised his wand. Sirius began to scream a curse at his former friend but couldn't choke it out. Suddenly, light and dust flashed across the grey sky. The muggles watching fell; the street turned into Armageddon. Sirius stared at the surrounding rubble and bodies. Aurors apparated around him. Sirius spun; he saw a small rat scuttle into a nearby sewer and a lone finger amongst the debris. Sirius felt his brain fall numb. All that was left of Sirius’s dear old friend was merely a finger. After all the young Gryffindor had lived through, it was strange that it would end like this: a crummy finger lying in the street. All that he’d suffered through in the past hours had amounted to this single body part. 

The raven-haired boy knelt upon the pavement, crying out towards the sky. He laughed so maniacally that it seemed like the grating cry would never end its agonizing ring. If one looked straight into his eyes, they’d see empty sorrow. They’d feel a sense of pity as if wanting to help but not caring enough. 

When Sirius Black reflects on this moment years later in his damp, dark Azkaban cell, he recalls that that very exact moment was when he lost all desire and became vacant, nonexistent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the first fic that i've 100% completed, wow! i never would've been able to finish without the holy guidance of my friend, Megan aka JediMasterMegan. thank you so much, ma'am <3


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